Dehumidification solutions with success baked in
De Trog is an organic bakery in the town of Ypres, West Flanders. Starting out as a small baker’s shop in the late 1970s in the centre of Bruges, De Trog has evolved into a modern bakery with about 120 employees. Producing a wide range of breads on a daily basis, the bakery counts major retail chains among its customers, enabling it to reach private end consumers (primarily in Belgium and France). The company’s main priorities are bread quality and food safety. Munters’ IceDry concept helps De Trog to keep humidity and temperature inside its freezer under perfect control. This results in a successful production process and excellent bread quality. Currently run by a third generation of master bakers, De Trog stays true to its traditional values. Hendrik Durnez bakes bread in the same way his grandfather did: he uses pure raw ingredients – all organic – without any bread improvers or other artificial agents. He combines respect for the artisanal baking craft with a huge amount of passion.
Fakta
- Greater operating efficiency
- Safety and better visibility
- No more ice-build up on floors
- Cleanliness and better hygiene
Partnering up
Munters’ IceDry system helps De Trog to keep humidity and temperature inside its freezer under perfect control. This results in a successful production process and excellent bread quality. “We were keeping semi-baked products stored in our freezer – mainly for export,” explains Kurt De Jonckheere, Production Manager. “However, we noticed a great deal of ice build-up on the ceiling. We then saw droplets on the floor, which ultimately grew to form huge piles of ice. “Ultimately, we were no longer able to move the shelves where all the products were stored, and we needed a team of four to remove the ice before we could move them. We were wasting a lot of time, which meant our employees couldn’t work efficiently. On top of that, we were greatly concerned about safety. With the floor bumpy and covered in ice, working conditions were unsafe. We wanted to sort the situation out immediately.”
Taking measures
“We took a number of measures to combat the ice, such as keeping the door open for less time and fitting plastic strip doors, worked,” De Jonckheere adds. “At the time we weren’t yet aware of the solutions offered by Munters. Eventually, after considering various options, we contacted them. I was skeptical to start with, but now I see how much the situation has improved. I’m more than happy. I never would have imagined Munters could make such a difference to how we go about our day-to-day work.” To prevent any future build-up of ice, Munters installed the dehumidifier next to the exit. The dehumidifier removes excess humidity from the freezer, keeping the air inside sufficiently dry and preventing any further ice build-up. “The staff in our warehouse can work normally again," says De Jonckheere. “In the past we had two staff members loading the lorries, but now we only need one. Gone is the old bumpy floor. The new one is dry and safe, allowing us to complete our work much more efficiently. We have a cleaner workplace and there is no ice anywhere.”
Fakta
- Greater operating efficiency
- Safety and better visibility
- No more ice-build up on floors
- Cleanliness and better hygiene
